Russia and the US on international scene

Russia and the US on international scene

Topics analyzed:

1.   Conflict in Syria
2.   Offshore Leaks
3.   70th  U.N. General Assembly

1. Conflict in Syria

In American Press there are two dominating opinions: 

1. Since starting the Syrian military operation, Putin has gained his positions and has become a #1 world leader

2. Combating ISIS is not the primary goal of Russia’s presence in the country

The following extract from an article is an example of the previous statement that Russia had multiple reasons behind the support to the Syrian army (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/world/europe/vladimir-putin-russia-syria.html?_r=0)

Analysts noted that Mr. Putin had achieved most, if not all, of his goals — some stated, others not (NY Times MARCH 15, 2016)

First, to thwart another Western attempt to push for leadership change in Syria and to fight the very idea of outside governments forcing political shifts.

Second, to show that Moscow is a more reliable ally than Washington, given that the Obama administration had abandoned long-term allies like former President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt when they faced political upheaval.

Third, to restore to Russia the role it had in the Soviet era as an important actor in the Middle East and as a global problem solver, and to force respect for Mr. Putin as a world leader.

Fourth, to shatter the isolation that Washington had tried to impose on Moscow after the crisis in Ukraine, forging a dialogue with the United States and, to a lesser degree, with Europe.

Fifth, a subset of the previous goal, to distract attention from the war in Ukraine and to get lifted the economic sanctions imposed on Russia — a step the Kremlin is desperate to achieve in the face of continuing economic problems. Saving the estimated $3 million daily cost of the Syrian operations will also help, but it was not considered decisive.

Sixth, to show off the effectiveness of a new generation of weaponry from Russia, the biggest arms exporter in the world after the United States.

The difference between the coverage of Syrian Crisis is clearly seen in the topics of Russian and American media

Major news portals publish opinion-articles which makes it obvious how does one party perceive the actions of the other

Washington Post on Putin's policy in Syria (Putin’s power plays)

(https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/what-putin-will-do-to-stay-in-power/2015/09/27/12a964b0-63b7-11e5-8e9e-dce8a2a2a679_story.html)

For Putin’s entry into Syria, like almost everything else that he does, is part of his own bid to stay in power. 

Putin is ready to help another dictator reestablish dictatorship, reassert control and imprison all of his enemies, in Syria and, if needed, in Russia too.

О политике Обамы на РИА Новости

Перед США стоит вызов: уйти с порочных стратегических позиций, основанных на представлении, что активное применение американской силы якобы важно для поддержания мирового порядка, считает американский политолог.

Спросите иракцев, ливийцев и йеменцев, предлагает Уолт, — и у вас может сложиться иное мнение об американской мощи, отличающееся от того, что вы обычно слышите от Вашингтона.

2. Offshore Leaks

Panama Law Firm’s Leaked Files Detail Offshore Accounts Tied to World Leaders  

(http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/04/us/politics/leaked-documents-offshore-accounts-putin.html)

A group of news media outlets published articles on Sunday based on what they said were 11.5 million leaked documents from a Panama law firm that helped some of the world’s wealthiest people — including politicians, athletes and business moguls — establish offshore bank accounts.

Despite countless names the only one mentioned 

in the article is Vladimir Putin

“According to the news reports, the documents related to Russia identified several officials with close ties to Mr. Putin, including two of his oldest friends, Sergei Roldugin, a cellist, and Yuri V. Kovalchuk, the principal shareholder of Bank Rossiya, a financial institution that has come under sanctions by the United States as the “cashier” of officials in the Kremlin.

The reports said Mr. Putin’s friends and associates had channeled $2 billion through a complex, deliberately convoluted network of offshore companies. Mr. Putin’s name appears on none of the records for the companies or the transactions, but Bank Rossiya and Mr. Roldugin do”.

Even if Putin's name wasn't directly mentioned, news papers still found a way to link the scandal maimly to the Russian President and Russia ( by puting his picture in the article, or explaining the problem essence on "matreshka", one of the most famous world-wide image of Russia)

Here, on the other hand, are some of the Russian articles discussing the scandal

"Панамский скандал": достоверность сведений под сомнением

(http://ria.ru/politics/20160405/1402992428.html)

   В скандальных материалах упоминаются, в частности президент Украины Петр Порошенко, король Саудовской Аравии Салман ибн Абдул-Азиз Аль Сауд, президент Аргентины Маурисио Макри, президент ОАЭ Халифа бин Зайд Аль Нахайян, премьер Исландии Сигмюндюр Давид Гюннлейгссон, а также бывший первый вице-премьер Украины Павел Лазаренко и экс-премьер министр Грузии Бидзина Иванишвили.

    Среди приближенных к бывшим и нынешним государственным деятелям в материалах газеты упомянуты члены семьи президента Азербайджана Ильхама Алиева, двоюродные братья президента Сирии Башара Асада, покойный отец премьер-министра Великобритании Дэвида Кэмерона, несколько лиц, якобы приближенных к российскому президенту Владимиру Путину, личный секретарь короля Марокко Мухаммеда VI, дети премьер-министра Пакистана Наваза Шарифа, сын премьера Малайзии Наджиба Туна Разака, дочь бывшего премьера Государственного совета КНР Ли Пэна, сын бывшего президента Египта Хосни Мубарака и ряд других.

     Из российских бизнесменов в публикациях прямо упоминаются, в частности, Сулейман Керимов, Аркадий Ротенберг, Юрий Ковальчук.

      Кроме того, в материалах фигурируют имена всемирно известного актера Джеки Чана, аргентинского футболиста Лионеля Месси и индийского киноактера Амитабха Баччана.

We can clearly see that American Press points out  the correlation between the Offshore leaks and President Putin and those who have close ties with him, whereas Russian sources mention dozens of names. 

3. 70th  U.N. General Assembly

When discussing the results of the annual General Assembly of the United Nations, the vast majority of American sources marked contrasting positions of the two leaders

Who said what at today's U.N. General Assembly 
(http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/09/28/speakers-and-highlights-un/72963716/)

President Obama 

He said the United States would work with any nation, including Russia and Iran, to solve the four-year-old Syrian civil war, but Syrian PresidentBashar Assad cannot stay in office. On Ukraine, he said the world cannot stand by while Russia violates Ukraine's integrity and sovereignty. If there are no consequences for Russia's annexation of Crimea, it could happen to any other country in the United Nations, he added.

Russian President 

Vladimir Putin – He called for a global fight against Islamic extremism akin to a third World War. But Putin said such an effort in Syria should be fought alongside Assad's government forces. “We think it is an enormous mistake to refuse to work with the Syrian government and its armed forces,” Putin said. “No one but the Syrian forces and Kurdish militia are seriously fighting against the Islamic state.” The alternative is to arm terrorists who threaten Europe, Russia and other countries, he said.

In their turn, Russian Media focused mostly on the fact that Vladimir Putin "outdid" Barack Obama following the results of the assembly and on Putin's figure in general

Conclusions:

1)American press associates Russia and particularly the Russian government with an image of Putin. The Russian press does not.

2)The numbers of the most discussed topics are almost the same. The difference in opinions about these events.

3)Russian and American press both use quotations they need to illustrate an opinion

 4) Ameican press stresses who Putin is and the Russian – what has he done or what does he think

Links

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/world/europe/vladimir-putin-russia-syria.html

http://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000003954467/obama-criticizes-russian-action-in-syria.html

Видео: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-10-02/obama-putin-s-strategy-in-syria-is-a-recipe-for-disaster-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/what-putin-will-do-to-stay-in-power/2015/09/27/12a964b0-63b7-11e5-8e9e-dce8a2a2a679_story.html

http://ria.ru/world/20151027/1309108759.html

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/04/04/us/politics/leaked-documents-offshore-accounts-putin.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/04/04/panama-papers-suddeutsche-zeitung-journalists/82614652/

 http://ria.ru/politics/20160405/1402992428.html#ixzz48l6WAX11

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/09/28/speakers-and-highlights-un/72963716/

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/29/world/middleeast/un-general-assembly-syria-isis-refugees.html?_r=0